Readings:
Hosea 7-9
John 15

Hosea 7-9

God continues his judgment prophecy against Israel and lists their many offenses. One thing he keeps coming back to is how they went and called after foreign gods and foreign nations to help them, but never called on the God that brought them out of Egypt.

The final verse in todays readings from Hosea says “they’ll be wanderers among the nations” and this came to pass. Often we’ll hear of the “lost tribes” of Israel, and that’s referring to the ten tribes that inhabited the Northern Kingdom. Unlike Judah, which will be carried away in exile and then allowed to return, the tribes from the northern kingdom are scattered and have made Jewish settlements around the ancient world, but never returned to the Holy Land in Amy sizable numbers.

John 15

Jesus speaks to them about the “true vine” and claims that he is that vine. He tells several parables to get his point across that connected to him and his life giving graces we are connected to the Holy Spirit and can bear the fruits of the spirit, but disconnected from his grace we cannot do anything completely on our own that is beneficial to the kingdom.

Jesus says point blank that we are to listen to his commandments if we Love him, and we must abide in his love to remain attached to the vine, and the commandment is to love one another. Seems simple enough, but it can be so difficult in practice. We can’t do any of this, but with Christ we can.

Jesus contrasts the love he has for his own, and the love they’re to show others, with the hatred the world has for him and will have for them by extension. He warns them that if they persecute him they’ll persecute them too, and these words must’ve been ringing in their ears when later that night they watch their master and friend be led to his death.

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Hosea 10-14
John 16:1-15